Tálas László szerk.: The late neolithic of the Tisza region (1987)

Öcsöd-Kováshalom (P. Raczky)

P. RACZKY Vessel with incised geometric patterns set in distinct panels showing a loose composition. Early Tisza culture. H: 14.4 cm [13] Collared vessel with the traces of red painting after firing. Classical Tisza culture. H: 14.5 cm [14] Vessel with rectilinear pattern of incised lines and dots decorating the entire surface. Classical Tisza culture. H: 11.8 cm [15] the complexity of adaptational processes within the culture and the range of its external contacts, implying that two basic motivations can be distinguished in the evolution of the settlement patterns of the Tisza culture: a settlement network and a population density that can be traced to the internal development of this culture, with the diverse settlement forms probably reflecting specific 'responses' to environmental 'challenges' within the limits of cultural variability, and the varying intensity of contacts with the tell cultures of SouthEast Europe. This dual dynamism of external and internal inspiration is reflected by the interferences in the Tisza settlement system suggesting that culture is not simply an extrasomatic expression of human adaptation, but is to a large extent internally generated (HODDER 1982d, 1-16). The tellbased settlement form and the tell-based economy represents a specific form of adaptation that in some cases makes its existence extremely precarious owing to possible over-specialisation. The economic prosperity of the Tisza culture is generally linked to the growing importance of cattle breeding (BÖKÖNYI 1971, 645-646; SHERRATT 1982,19-21). It should be noted in this respect that remains of a wicker fence were identified in the area enclosed by the fence - that in effect cut off its northwestern corner - that can probably be interpreted as a corral suggesting cattle breeding on a larger scale. This wicker fence too had a bedding trench in which post holes of larger posts and unsquared planks were uncovered. A row of posts flanked this fence on its outer side, perhaps the remains of a wall-like construction. Remains of various buildings were noted inside this wicker fence; however, their function is still unclear. A total of 44 graves were uncovered in the main excavation area between the houses and in the open area surrounding them, implying that the settlement and the burials were still strongly linked. The burials could be divided into two groups: graves flanking the house cluster that can be assumed to have been dug during the use-life of these houses, and burials cutting into these houses that were obviously later. The three-fold organisation of space observed in the area enclosed by the fence (houses - work area - pits) could also be noted in trench IV opened some 120-130 m northeast of the main excavation area. Parts of a timber-framed tripartite house were uncovered in this trench as well as several pits and 2 burials. The third settlement nucleus of the Öcsöd site - lying at a distance of 210-220 m from the main excavation area - was also investigated (trench III). Only sporadic traces of Tisza settlement were detected in this area; however, pits and an impressive body of Körös finds came to light from this trench. The observations made on the Öcsöd site tend to suggest that the functional organisation of space according to a certain pattern (houses, work areas and pits) can be generalised not only for sites lying in the transitional zone of site forms, but also for other Tisza settlements. This spatial patterning corresponds to the regularities noted on the Linear Pottery settlements of Central Europe (BOELICKE 1982, 17-28; LÜNING 1982, 140-146). Earlier excavation were fairly restricted and tended to uncover only the central part or the pit zone of larger settlements and thus did not yield a representative picture of the settlement layout, with the obvious consequence that the observations made were interpreted as characteristic of the occupation patterns: one such misleading and generalised view was that the northern part of the Tisza distribution territory 70